235 Years of Craftsmanship with Smedley: James Hamill
Continuing our partnership with John Smedley in celebration of their 235 Year Anniversary, we are delighted to bring you the story of another one of their QEST Ambassador’s: Bee Keeper James Hamill.
Join James at John Smedley’s Jermyn Street store for a honey bee raising workshop and tasting on the 25th July 2019.
Click here for information about the workshop.
James has been keeping bees since he was five years old and beekeeping has been in my
family for the last three generations since 1924; James is now a fourth-generation
beekeeper and the director and head beekeeper for the Hive Honey Shop in London.
He has travelled around the world widening his knowledge on all things bee’s. He was
awarded his QEST scholarship to do this and study beekeeping and bee disease techniques.
James was part of an extensive bee-breeding scheme in Kent, he then moved onto travel to
Nepal and additionally collaborated with the ministry of agriculture bee units in Turkey and Egypt.
James explains that the uncertainty of nature is the hardest part about what he does. Nectar
can only be produced under strict weather conditions, if there is too much rain, too much
wind or it is too hot, too cold; this means plants will not produce nectar and bees will suffer.
Because James spends so much time with among his beehives, he gets to know the bees of each colony very well and describes them as part of his family. So, if a colony dies for any reason James says he takes this loss personally and it really hurts.
James forms part of John Smedley’s collective of British craftsmen in celebration of their 235th anniversary as the oldest manufacturing factory in the world. Together they will be showcasing their collective crafts via retail windows,
consumer workshops, special product launches and exhibitions throughout 2019 and 2020.
